Stand with the Gulf
The International Business Times reports:
The oil spill has been a disaster for Louisiana. But a part of the federal response to the disaster, the worst of its sort in U.S. history, may prove even more calamitous for the state.
"The moratorium on drilling is having the direst effect on jobs in Louisiana," said Professor Eric Smith, director of Tulane University's Institute of Energy.
There were 33 rigs in operation in the Gulf when the Deepwater Horizon blew, and the other 32 have been shut down by the government order. According to Smith, another 9 rigs were due to soon go into operation.
"Each rig employs 240 workers," Smith said. "We calculate that four jobs are affected for each job on a rig. Right now, conservatively, 10,000 people are out of work because of the moratorium, and that number is only going to grow as the moratorium continues."
If the moratorium continues much longer, the rigs will be able to break their contracts and will leave for work elsewhere, in South America, for example, Smith said.
"Once contracted off the coast of Brazil, they will not be coming back here, even when the moratorium is lifted," he said. "Then the jobs situation and the economy, for the state, the region and the rest of the country will worsen."
While recognizing that this is a horrible environmental disaster, Louisiana’s Senator Mary Landrieu (D-La.) has suggested eight measures that, she said, will allow drilling to resume while protecting the Gulf area from further disasters. This is a prudent approach, considering that there’s only been one major spill in the Gulf in the last 30 years of drilling.
Louisiana’s Governor Bobby Jindal recently stated, “The President’s six-month suspension of activity on 33 permitted deepwater drilling rigs, including 22 deepwater drilling rigs off Louisiana’s coast is a direct hit to our state’s economy that is already suffering from the BP oil spill and its closure of water areas for fishing and our beaches from tourism.” In southern Louisiana, for instance, two-thirds of households work in the oil
industry.
And these are not wealthy states. In fact, the Taxpayers Network ranks Louisiana forty-first in personal income per capita among the states and third in the 50 states of percent of its population below poverty line—19%. Please tell President Obama to have a heart (click here) and forward this to your friends and families to prevent a second, manmade disaster.
Yours for freedom,
Julie Walsh
Julie Walsh
jwalsh@FreedomAction.org
Views: 0
Tags: drilling, moratorium, oil, spill
Comment
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Comment by Bloomie Johnson on June 16, 2010 at 4:05pm -
First I'd like to Thank You here at Freedom Action Network for assisting me in keeping informed and making it easier for me to contact the appropriate government officials.
I appreciate the work you do.
The one thing that's nagging me about this disaster is why Mr Obama hasn't used his position as Commander and Chief to waive the Jones Act ( ??? )
Instead he says really dumb things like how he's not able to suck up the oil with a straw, or not able to dive down there and plug the hole, and he gets a few giggles for saying it. :('
He IS able to DO something that's actually based in reality and it would get him a lot more than giggles for petessake!
I dont agree with every decision former President Bush made, but to hear this administration talk ya'd think the man was a complete moron!
Instead of hearing former President Bush blamed for all the problems we're facing, our current President could take some pointers on how to handle the situation by waving the Jones Act. Its one of the smarter decisions that Mr Bush made in the Katrina disaster!
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Comment by John Lenzen on June 15, 2010 at 5:11pm -
Another brilliant move from the Obama administration, in shutting down the 33 rigs.
Another brilliant move from the Obama administration, in getting 10,000+ unemployed.
Obama, and all in his administration.......their I.Q.s must be off the charts in their brilliance.
I hope he sends me a tire gauge. I'll need one so I can carry all of my tools on my bike.
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Comment by Robert E. Tucker on June 15, 2010 at 3:46pm
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The comment from Stephen L. R. is correct. What we are witnessing is a classic example of Progressives taking advantage of a crisis. As Rahm E. says "Never let a serious crisis go to waste". Two weeks after the spill started, the State Department and the Coast Guard were attempting to figure out what aid they could use from abroad. On May 5th, the Department reported that thirteen international offers of aid had been tendered including the use of numerous "skimmer" ships. The "government" was to decide in the next two days which offers to accept. Two weeks later, it said that it did not need any of them. Now due to executive branch incompetence we have a full blown disaster which could have been significantly mitigated by prompt action. The only explanation for this abominable misconduct is: It was intentional! Now the moratorium on drilling can be left on indefinitely, Cap and Trade can be crammed through, our economy will stay in the dumper and our energy costs will skyrocket. It will take years if not decades to recover from this madness.
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Comment by William Brice Tessore on June 15, 2010 at 3:30pm
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With regard to this event the phrase "man made disaster" is so very appropriate. While it may technically be true that there are several individuals involved in the bureaucracy built to handle such far reaching problems, the fact remains the Buck has an ultimate stopping point. Mr. Obama is that stopping point.
* It was the inaction of the Obama administration for over 50 days which permitted the BP oil rig spill to reach the wide spread dimensions it has.
Obama chose to:
*Allow 51 days pass before authorzing the capping of the BP well.
*Bump this action behind fund raising for Barbara Boxer's 2010 re-election.
*Concert all his efforts to destroy the economy and defy the Constitutional rights of American citizens.
The words "treason" and 'impeachment" come t mind.
Respectfully,
Bill Tessore
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Comment by Stephen L Ralston on June 15, 2010 at 3:26pm -
I seriously doubt this is about 'heart' for the president. I suspect this is all about appeasing the environmental movement or green industry movement, and taking advantage of this situation to push for the economically crushing legislation called, "Cap & Trade." (Also known as the make Al Gore & his green industry buddies excessively wealthy while stealing from average people & doing nothing for the environment anyway legislation).
The media have so far limited or even completely omitted telling the public the climate issue is bogus. From over 80% of the temperature recording stations being improperly located, to no real factual temperature data to use since it was thrown away, to distortions about anticipated events which were driven by radical activists like the WWF, Americans are really in the dark about the facts, but are inundated with all sorts of propaganda pushing the religion of climate change & the myth of CO2 as a pollutant.
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